Positioning device for conical subjects

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for transferring substantially conical subjects of an elastic material, such as truncated caps for bottles of a plastic material from a supply container into a store holder in a predetermined position comprising a horizontal shaft mounted to said apparatus, a plurality of parallel rotatable discs mounted on said shaft and positioned at a distance from each other greater than the larger diameter of the conical subjects. The inner walls of the discs are provided with means to temporarily hold the conical subjects near their larger diameter. The rotatable discs are able to rotate simultaneously with such a velocity that the conical subjects held thereby are positioned by centrifugal forces with their smaller diameter directed outward. Means are also provided for continuously removing the positioned conical subjects and for moving the conical subjects to the store holder.

United States Patent [191 UNITED STATES PATENTS Daniels et al. ..l98/33AA Petiet [4 1 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] POSITIONING DEVICE FOR CONICAL PrimaryExaminer-Harvey C. Hornsby SUBJECTS Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane [75]Inventor: Jakobus Petiet, Leiden, Netherlands Attorney-melt Glpple &Jacobson [73] Assignee: N. V. Leidsche Apparatenfabriek, [57] ABSTRACTLeiden Netherlands Apparatus for transferring substantially conical sub-[22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1970 jects of an elastic material, such astruncated caps for bottles of a plastic material from a supply container[2]] App! 73164 into a store holder in a predetermined positioncomprising a horizontal shaft mounted to said apparatus, a ForeignApplication Priority Data plurality of parallel rotatable discs mountedon said shaft and positioned at a distance from each other Sept. 17,1969Netherlands ..69l4108 greater than the larger diameter of the conical[52] U 5 CI 198/33 AA 221/156 198/25 jects. The inner walls of the discsare provided with 51 hit Cl B 1, 6 9/00 means to temporarily hold theconical subjects near [58] Field A 25, I15 6 172 their larger diameter.The rotatable discs are able to 64 167 rotate simultaneously with such avelocity that the conical subjects held thereby are positioned by cen-[56] References Cited trifugal forces with their smaller diameterdirected outward. Means are also provided for continuously removing thepositioned conical subjects and for moving the conical subjects to thestore holder.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 I973 SHEET 1 OF 3 SHEET 2 OF3 PATENTEDJAH 9 I975 QA/f/V/AZ PATENTEDJAN 9 1973 SHEET 3 0F 3POSITIONING DEVICE FOR CONICAL SUBJECTS The invention relates toapparatus for transferring substantially conical subjects of an elasticmaterial, such as truncated conical caps for bottles of a plasticsmaterial from a supply container into a store holder in a predeterminedposition.

In capsulating bottles, especially plastic bottles, conically shapedscrew caps of a plastic material are being used with more frequency.These screw caps have to be delivered from a supply container via a capstore holder to removing means passing below the store holder. Theremoving means, during passage below the store holder, picks up a capand conveys it to an automatic bottle closing device. Conical caps ofplastic material, having a height generally larger than the largerdiameter are picked up from the store holder in the same predeterminedposition.

Presently known devices for positioning caps generally suffer from thedisadvantage in that the conical caps can only be delivered in small orvery small amounts.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a I device which canautomatically position conical plastic caps and can deliver the capsfrom a supply container in the desired amounts. This object is attainedby the invention by transferring substantially conical subjects of anelastic material, such as truncated conical caps for bottles of aplastic material from a supply container into a store holder in apredetermined position. The apparatus comprises a pair of parallel discsrotable in a supply container around a horizontal shaft and positionedat a mutual distance somewhat greater than the larger diameter of theconical subjects. The inner walls of the discs are provided with meanswhich can temporarily hold the conical subjects near their largerdiameter. The discs can rotate simultaneously with such a velocity thatthe conical subjects held thereby are positioned by centrifugal forceswith their smaller diameter outward. Means is also provided forcontinuously positioning the conical subjects and for transferring theconical subjects to the store holder.

By the use of centrifugal forces, it is possible to deliver largenumbers of conical plastics caps in a predetermined position, since, bythe greater peripheral speed of the discs, a considerably greater numberof caps can pass through the discs.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a device of thedisclosed type, in which the means for holding the conical subjects neartheir larger diameter comprises a profile of the inner walls of thediscs near their edges forming an opening between the discs. The smallerdistance between the inner walls profiles being smaller than the largerdiameter of the conical subjects and larger than the smaller diameter ofthe conical subjects. The discs are connected to one another at theirinner walls by a great number of arms positioned at regular distancesalong the circumference of the discs. The arms are provided with catchpins protruding perpendicularly from their middle beyond thecircumference of the discs. During rotation of the discs in the supplycontainer, conical subjects lying below the horizontal center line ofthe pair of discs, are picked up by the catch pins. By a relativelyquick rotation of the discs, centrifugal forces act upon the caps pickedup, so that, by their combination of position of the center of gravityand the possible movability between the discs, the caps are held, attheir larger diameter, by the profile of the inner walls of the discs,while the caps are positioned with their smaller diameter in a radiallyoutward direction. The conical subjects positioned thus by the discs canbe drawn from the opening between the discs by suitable means, whilefurther suitable means. can transfer the caps, still in theirpredetermined positions, to a store holder.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a device inwhich the means for continuously removing the conical subjects heldbetween the discs comprise a pair of parallel rollers continuouslyrotatable around a horizontal shaft parallel with the shaft of thediscs. The rollers are placed at a small distance from the circumferenceof the discs and above the horizontal centerline thereof, with thevertical plane of symmetry of the rollers coinciding with the verticalplane of symmetry of the discs. The edges of the rollers are providedwith flanges of a resilient material, which extend over the circularpath of the parts of the conical subjects protruding beyond thecircumference of the discs, with the flanges being placed at a distanceequal to the smaller diameter of the conical subjects.

The caps picked up by the discs are held therebetween at their largerdiameter and are directed outwardly beyond the discs. The caps are movedby the discs to the rollers and arrive there with their parts beyond thediscs positioned between the resilient flanges of the continuouslyrotating rollers and are held by the resilience of those flanges sincethe flanges are spaced from one another at a width equal to the smallerdiameter of the caps, so that the caps are drawn from the discs by therollers. The caps thus held between the flanges of the rollers are movedto a store holder having an entrance at the periphery of the rollerssubstantially opposite to the location where the rollers are closest tothe discs. Thus, all conical subjects are transferred to the storeholder in one and the same predetermined position.

According to the invention, a suitable apparatus is provided by anembodiment, in which the profile of the inner walls of the discs neartheir edges is shaped so that the opening formed between the discs ispartially formed by tapered protrusions in he direction of thecircumference of the discs, the smaller distance between the protrusionsthereof being equal to the diameter of the conical subjects below theirlarger diameter. The protrusions pass into a wider part having parallelwalls spaced at a distance somewhat smaller than the greater diameter ofthe conical subjects, as seen in the direction of rotation of the discs.Before the conical subjects reach the means for removing the conicalsubjects from between the discs, a device is present for drawing theconical subjects from a first part of the opening between the discs,into the second wider part thereof, so that the conical subjects, at thelocation of their greater diameter, become held between the parallelwall parts, and the remaining parts of the conical subjects protrudebeyond the circumference of the discs.

In this embodiment, the caps picked up by the discs are first positionedwith their smaller section radially outward, while the section of largerdiameter is held between the first part of the opening between thediscs.

In this manner they are brought in a predetermined position. Therefore,the caps are brought into such position that they can be removed fromthe opening between the discs in an efficient manner without exertion ofexcessive forces. After first bringing the caps into the predeterminedposition, the caps are further drawn outward by suitable means in such amanner that only the edges of the caps are retained between the parallelparts of the walls at the edges of the discs and are held in such amanner that the subjects are not flung out from the discs by centrifugalforces, with the result that the holding force is sufficiently low toallow the withdrawal of the subjects from between the discs by therollers.

Suitable apparatus according to the invention is obtained by anembodiment of the above kind, in which the device for drawing theconical subjects from the first part of the opening between thediscsinto the second wider part thereof, comprises a pair of freelymovable rolls placed around substantially vertical shafts near thecircumference of the discs at some distance from each other at bothsides of the path of the conical subjects protruding radially from thediscs. The smallest distance between the rolls is smaller than thediameter of that part of the conical subjects which passes between therolls, the rolls being located below the discs some distance past thevertical centerline of the discs as seen in the direction of rotation.

The conical subjects picked up by the discs are first brought in apredetermined position by centrifugal forces whereby the broader upperparts of the caps are held between the narrowing opening of the discsand the smaller parts of the subjects protrude beyond the discs, andpass with their smaller parts between the rolls present below the discs.The rolls, since their mutual distance is smaller than the diameter ofthat part of the subjects passing between the rolls, give the subjectsan elastic deformation. The subjects, since the rolls, as seen in thedirection of rotation of the discs, are placed past the verticalcenterline of the discs, are drawn downwardly, upon further movement ofthe discs, in such a manner that the upper larger diameter edges of thesubjects become held between the parallel parts of the walls at theedges of the discs, and the discs move the thus positioned subjects tothe means for drawing the subjects from the discs.

The invention thus provides apparatus for automatically transferringconical subjects from a supply container in a predetermined position toa store holder, so that the conical subjects are delivered inconsiderably greater numbers than known devices are able to do. Theapparatus according to the invention can deliver up to, e.g., 30,000subjects in l hour.

IN THE DRAWINGS The invention will be discussed now in more detail withthe aid of the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a positioning device according to theinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a section along the line ll II of the device shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 shows a section along the line Ill III of the device shown inFIG. 1.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of discs 1 and 2, whichare mounted a predetermined distance from one another and parallel toeach other on a horizontal shaft 3. The discs 1 and 2 rotate in thedirection indicated in FIG. 1, through a supply hopper (not shown)filled with conical plastic bottle caps. The discs 1 and 2 are placed ata distance from each other somewhat greater than the larger diameter ofthe conical caps, with the inner walls of the discs being connected byarms 4 at regular mutual distances arranged from the edges along thecircumference of the discs'l and 2. The arms 4 are provided with catchpins 5 which protrude perpendicularly from the middle of the arms 4beyond the circumference of the discs. The inner walls of the edges ofthe discs are provided each with a profile 6 so that the smallestdistance between the profiles 6, placed opposite to each other, issmaller than the larger diameter of the conical caps. The profiles 6pass, in the direction of the circumference, into a wider part ofopposite wall parts 7 of the opening formed by the protrusions, thedistance therebetween being somewhat smaller than the larger diameter ofthe conical caps, as is shown by FIG. 2. The profiles 6 are suitablyshaped as tapered protrusions as shown in FIG.

The discs I and 2 are rotated at a relatively high speed through thecaps in the supply container, with the caps being picked up by the arms4 with catch pins 5. By the rotation of the discs, centrifugal forcesact on the screw caps picked up, so that by the combination of positionof the center of gravity and the possible movability between the discs,the caps are positioned with their larger upper part held by theprofiles 6 and with their remaining part directed radially outwardly. InFIG. 2, a cap 8 is illustrated in that position by drawn lines. Thus, bymeans of the discs 1 and 2, the caps 8 arrive at a device 9 below thediscs 1 and 2 at a distance from the circumference thereof and, as seenin the direction of rotation of the discs, at a distance past thevertical centerline of the discs 1 and 2. The device 9 is illustrated inmore detail in FIG. 2, and comprises a pair of rolls l0 and 11 placedfreely movable around vertical shafts 12 and 13, respectively, at adistance from each other at both sides of the path of the caps 8. Thedistance of the circumference of the rolls is such that the smallestdistance between the rolls edges is somewhat smaller than the diameterof that part of the caps 8 passing therebetween, so that when caps 8pass between the rolls l0 and 11, they are elastically deformed. Thecaps 8 are held by the rolls l0 and 11 for a short time, and areradially compressed, while the discs 1 and 2 are still moving, so thatthe caps are drawn from the profiles 6 and become held by their upperedges between the parallel parts 7 of the edges of the discs 1 and 2. Inthis position, the caps are moved upwardly by the discs 1 and 2. Theforces exerted on the'caps by the parallel parts 7 is just enough toprevent the caps from being thrown out from the opening between thediscs by centrifugal forces, while allowing the caps 8 to be removed bysmall forces from the space between the discs (see interrupted lines inFIG. 2) by means 16 placed above the discs 1 and 2.

The means 16 comprises a roller means 17 situated on the verticalcenterline of the discs, which can rotate around a horizontal shaft 18driven by two friction wheels 19 and 20, respectively. The roller means17 comprises two rollers 21 and 22 shaped in reverse or in mirror view.The rollers 21 and 22 consist each of two roller discs 23, 24 and 25,26, respectively. Between each pair of roller discs 23, 24 and 25, 26,rubber plates 27- and 28, respectively, are clenched. The rubber platesextend about 1 cm beyond the roller discs 23, 24 and 25, 26. The rollermeans 17 is placed above the discs 1 and 2 at such a distance to allowthe extending edges of the rubber plates to be over the circular path ofthe radially protruding caps 8, with the mutual distance of the rubberplates being equal to the smaller diameter of the plastic caps 8. Thecaps brought into the predetermined position by the discs 1 and 2, arepicked up from those discs by the extending edges of the rubber plates27 and 28, and delivered to a cap store holder 29, and through the storeholder to a predetermined position to the supply plate of a bottleclosing machine. The location of the roller means and the connectionwith the store holder are selected so that when the store holder isfilled up with caps and the machine does not remove caps from the storeholder, the caps supplied in predetermined position will be forced toroll back into the supply container.

It is noted that the invention is not restricted to the above-describeddevice, as various modifications may be applied to the device withoutfalling outside the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transferring substantially conical subjects of anelastic material such as truncated conical caps for bottles of a plasticmaterial from a supply container into a store holder in a predeterminedposition, comprising a shaft, a pair of parallel rotatable discs mountedto said shaft and positioned at a distance from each other greater thanthe larger diameter of the conical subjects, the inner walls of thediscs being provided with means to temporarily hold the conical subjectsnear their larger diameter, said discs being further provided with meansfor picking up the conical caps, said rotatable discs being able torotate simultaneously through a hopper of the supply container fromwhich the conical subjects are located between the rotatable discs andare positioned by centrifugal forces with their smaller diameterdirected outward, means for continuously removing the positioned conicalsubjects and means for transferring the conical subjects to said storeholder.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for holding theconical subjects near their larger diameter comprises a profile on theinner walls of each disc near its edges, the smallest distance betweenthe opposed ends of the profiles being smaller than the larger diameterof the conical subjects and larger than the smaller diameter of theconical subjects, said discs being connected to each other at theirinner walls by a plurality of arms positioned at regular distances alongthe circumference of the discs, said arms being provided with catch pinsprotruding perpendicularly from the middle of said arms beyond thecircumference of the discs.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for continuouslyremoving the positioned conical subjects comprises a shaft parallel tosaid disc shaft, a pair of parallel rollers rotatable around said shaft,said rollers being placed at a distance from the circumference of saiddiscs above the horizontal centerline thereof, the vertical plane ofsymmetry of said rollers coinciding with the vertical plane of symmetryof said discs, said rollers having edges provided with plates ofresilient material, said plates extending from said roller edges overthe circular path of the parts of the conical subjects protruding beyondthe circumference of said discs, said plates being spaced from eachother at a distance equal to the smaller diameter of said conicalsubjects.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profiles of the innerwalls of the said discs near their edges are shaped so that an openingdefined by the discs is partially formed by tapered protrusions in thedirection of the circumference of the discs, the smaller distancebetween the profiles being equal to a diameter of the conical subjectsbelow their larger diameter, each of said protrusions passing into asecond part so that the opposing profiles form parallel walls spacedwider apart than the first part at a distance somewhat smaller than thegreater diameter of the conical sub- 30 jects, said apparatus alsoincluding a device for drawing the conical subjects from the first partof the opening between the discs where it becomes smaller, into thesecond wider part thereof, so that the conical subjects, at the locationof their greater diameter, become held between the parallel wall parts,with the remaining parts of the conical subjects protruding beyond thecircumference of the discs.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device for drawing theconical subjects from the first part of the opening between the discsinto the second wider part thereof, comprises a pair of rolls mounted tosubstantially vertical shafts near the circumference of the discs, saidrolls being freely movable at a distance from each other at both sidesof the path of the conical subjects protruding radially from the discs,the distance between the rolls edges being smaller than the diameter ofthat part of the conical subject which passes between the rolls, saidrolls being located below the discs some distance past the verticalcenterline of the discs.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner walls of the discsare shaped in a way such that a conical subject between the discs, afterbeing pushed at its left and right side, is located with its greaterdiameter between the discs so that the conical subject does not fallaway from between the inner walls.

1. An apparatus for transferring substantially conical subjects of anelastic material such as truncated conical caps for bottles of a plasticmaterial from a supply container into a store holder in a predeterminedposition, comprising a shaft, a pair of parallel rotatable discs mountedto said shaft and positioned at a distance from each other greater thanthe larger diameter of the conical subjects, the inner walls of thediscs being provided with means to temporarily hold the conical subjectsnear their larger diameter, said discs being further provided with meansfor picking up the conical caps, said rotatable discs being able torotate simultaneously through a hopper of the supply container fromwhich the conical subjects are located between the rotatable discs andare positioned by centrifugal forces with their smaller diameterdirected outward, means for continuously removing the positioned conicalsubjects and means for transferring the conical subjects to said storeholder.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means forholding the conical subjects near their larger diameter comprises aprofile on the inner walls of each disc near its edges, the smallestdistance between the opposed ends of the profiles being smaller than thelarger diameter of the conical subjects and larger than the smallerdiameter of the conical subjects, said discs being connected to eachother at their inner walls by a plurality of arms positioned at regulardistances along the circumference of the discs, said arms being providedwith catch pins protruding perpendicularly from the middle of said armsbeyond the circumference of the discs.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim1, wherein the means for continuously removing the positioned conicalsubjects comprises a shaft parallel to said disc shaft, a pair ofparallel rollers rotatable around said shaft, said rollers being placedat a distance from the circumference of said discs above the horizontalcenterline thereof, the vertical plane of symmetry of said rollerscoinciding with the vertical plane of symmetry of said discs, saidrollers having edges provided with plates of resilient material, saidplates extending from said roller edges over the circular path of theparts of the conical subjects protruding beyond the circumference ofsaid discs, said plates being spaced from each other at a distance equalto the smaller diameter of said conical subjects.
 4. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the profiles of the inner walls of the saiddiscs near their edges are shaped so that an opening defined by thediscs is partially formed by tapered protrusions in the direction of thecircumference of the discs, the smaller distance between the profilesbeing equal to a diameter of the conical subjects below their largerdiameter, each of said protrusions passing into a second part so thatthe opposing profiles form parallel walls spaced wider apart than thefirst part at a distance somewhat smaller than the greater diameter ofthe conical subjects, said apparatus also including a device for drawingthe conical subjects from the first part of the opening between thediscs where it becomes smaller, into the second wider part thereof, sothat the conical subjects, at the location of their greater diameter,become held between the parallel wall parts, with the remaining parts ofthe conical subjects protruding beyond the circumference of the discs.5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device for drawing theconical subjects from the first part of the opening between the discsinto the second wider part thereof, comprises a pair of rolls mounted tosubstantially vertIcal shafts near the circumference of the discs, saidrolls being freely movable at a distance from each other at both sidesof the path of the conical subjects protruding radially from the discs,the distance between the rolls'' edges being smaller than the diameterof that part of the conical subject which passes between the rolls, saidrolls being located below the discs some distance past the verticalcenterline of the discs.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein theinner walls of the discs are shaped in a way such that a conical subjectbetween the discs, after being pushed at its left and right side, islocated with its greater diameter between the discs so that the conicalsubject does not fall away from between the inner walls.